ST. PAUL, Minn.---For the first time since 1997, the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) will crown a new regular season men’s tennis champion – and the conference coaches predict it will be grind between the University of Northwestern and the University of Wisconsin-Superior.
The Eagles edged the Yellowjackets by just one point in the 2022 UMAC Men’s Tennis Preseason Coaches Poll announced Tuesday. Northwestern collected 15 points and three first-place votes while Wisconsin-Superior tallied 14 points and two first-place nods.
A season ago the Yellowjackets took the lone regular season contest against the Eagles in 6-3 fashion before knocking off the Eagles a few days later 5-4 in the UMAC postseason tournament to advance to the championship match for the first time in program history.
Both teams return a plethora of talent and will have to battle it out twice in the regular season before hoping to advance to the four-team postseason tournament set for May 6-7 at the Baseline Tennis Center on the campus of the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis.
The slight-favorite Eagles were third in 2021 with a 4-2 conference record, but they return two All-UMAC selections in Stewart Morrell and Adam Reyerse. Morrell earned 21 singles wins as a rookie, while Reyerse eclipsed 14 wins in both singles and doubles. Jack Geurkink will also be a strong returner after posting 15 singles wins last spring.
The Yellowjacket reload with talent as well welcoming back three All-UMAC selections in Andrew Luiz de Melo Guedes, Gergo Potz Nagy and Michael Janes. Each of the three ‘Jacket performers tallied at least nine wins in each singles and doubles. They led the Yellowjackets to a program-best 10 team victories this season and will look to improve on that in 2022.
The poll rounds out with Bethany Lutheran College claiming third with nine points and both Martin Luther College and the University of Minnesota Morris picking up six points to tie for fourth. Marcos Borobia Arias returns for the Vikings after an All-UMAC rookie campaign. He will anchor a Viking squad that was sixth last season and hopes to get back on track in 2022.
Martin Luther was fourth last season and returns five of six main starters from the 2021 lineup including Jonah Schulz and Seth and Josiah Koelpin who each earned at least three wins in singles or doubles. Minnesota Morris was fifth in 2021 and brings back Paul Decker – an All-UMAC player – and Nick Garmen with both winning at least six singles matches as sophomores.
Several UMAC teams kick off competition this weekend with conference play set to begin in late March and early April.
2022 UMAC Men's Tennis Preseason Coaches' Poll
| Pl. | School | Pts. |
| 1. | Northwestern | 15 (3) |
| 2. | Wisconsin-Superior | 14 (2) |
| 3. | Bethany Lutheran | 9 |
| T4. | Martin Luther | 6 |
| T4. | Minnesota Morris | 6 |